Peggie Sue
(By Christina Lob Published Sep 16, 2016)
Peggie Sue is 12 years old, and still full of energy. You wouldn’t know it just by looking at her, she was diagnosed with oral cancer in 2014.
“I thought she had a bad tooth that was bothering her and we went in to have that checked and it ended up being oral melanoma and the prognosis was grim,” said Vickie Young, Peggie Sue’s owner.
The veterinarian gave her four to eight months left to live.
“I spent several days in tears worried about losing her, I’m going to cry right now just thinking about it,” said Young.
But Peggie has pushed through. After receiving cancer treatments and a change in her diet, she’s still prancing around two years later. So when Young heard the local PuppyUp Foundation, a nonprofit that funds cancer research for both pets and people, was looking for a poster dog, she knew Peggy Sue would be the perfect fit.
“I submitted her story…you know, I just think she’s a fighter and she represents what we’re looking for in beating this,’ said Young.
And PuppyUp agreed.
“She’s just a great example of especially how dogs keep going even when they’ve been diagnosed with cancer,” said Laura Atwood, Volunteer Coordinator for the Anchorage PuppyUp Walk.
The foundation funds comparative oncology research through walks and educational campaigns throughout the country, building a community of companions against cancer made up of man and their best friends who have been affected by the disease.
“That idea is coming from, we’re living in the same environment so we’re exposed to the same things and in many cases we may even be eating similar foods. So they’re looking at that and saying ‘can there be things that are making both of us, both species get these cancers’,” said Atwood.
With the help of long-term survivor Peggie Sue, they hope to bring the community together to support their canine and human friends and family in the fight against cancer.
The PuppyUp Walk takes place Friday, September 23rd at the Delaney Park Strip in front of the Centennial Rose Garden. Participants can register online here.
Watch the video here.
